Four students that are on both Dance Force and Cheer share their experience with juggling two different work loads
By: Emmah Abney
Students at Redwood battle the two worlds of dance and cheer. With having such big roles in these routines, the students face challenges and sometimes have to choose what routines to be a part of.
Tysie Tisthammer, ’27, says, “Being on both teams is a big time commitment and requires constant communication with my coaches.”
Photo N.Miller/Gigantea
Students must find ways to do personal things and have time for themselves while participating in both sports. They may struggle with communication which is one of the biggest things when it comes to personal dance, Dance Force, and Cheer.
Kayla Arroyo, ’27, says, “I come home to do homework before heading to dance, however home games are pretty stressful because I have to go from one team to another.”
The big commitments of both sports can create challenges but is also rewarding for students because they get to be a part of two important sports in high school. With these big sports, they must have time taken out of their personal lives to meet the needs of both teams.
Photo T.Eppling/Gigantea
Mia Reberry, ’25, says, “I do my best to focus on school during school hours so I don’t have to worry about my school work conflicting with practices.”
Along with being on the cheer and dance team, these multi athletes also dance outside of school in a studio. This is very time consuming so it comes with facing time management and staying on track with their lives outside of dance.
Stellamarie Vaccarro, ’27, says, “I have to stay focused, organized, and divide my time for each team.”
Photo M.LoBue/Gigantea
These girls do a great job at staying motivated with having so much time devoted to their teams. Even with their busy schedules, they continue to be positive and committed to their extracurriculars.
Reberry says, “I personally love being really busy. I love what I do so motivation comes easy.”
While it can be challenging to perform on both teams it can also be very rewarding for the girls to see their hardwork pay off. Performing can be a safe space for them as they get to live in both worlds.
“The thrill of performing is definitely a motivator for me,” Tisthammer says.
Emmah Abney
Tags: arts & entertainment, arts and entertainment, rangers, Redwood, redwood cheer, redwood dance force, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, rhs cheer, rhs dance force, visalia ca
